Sweet Tannenbaum Read Free Page A

some later date, even if he hadn't really been looking at women as potential wives. But there was much to recommend about escorting a woman such as Frau Rokiczana into a room and being able to claim her. When they arrived, all of the patrons had looked on her much as Hans and his own staff had, as a lady. She had an air that demanded respect. If he were to begin a list of qualities he wanted in a wife, he would include that. Not that he had any deficit in commanding respect himself, but it had been intriguing to stand behind her and experience the reflected glory. Perhaps that was similar to the feeling troops had experienced following him into battle.
    He turned on his side. If that were true, however, she might not feel as confident as she seemed. Hans himself was a risk-taker at heart. He had never truly been as confident as everyone thought. His experience was that it didn't matter how he felt, it only mattered how he acted. Was that also true of Frau Rokiczana? It would be folly to expect her experiences to mirror his own, but the thought was hard to dismiss. Finally lulled by the silence from her room, he fell into his slumber.
     
    * * *
     
    Two more days passed in relative silence . Krystyna found that if she asked Von Rosen about the terrain or towns, he was quite familiar with the area, but he seemed no more interested in a prolonged conversation than she did. However, the atmosphere inside the carriage changed from one of tension to a more settled and comfortable quiet. She didn't cling to the door with the tenacity she had the first day, and actually became quite used to having his solid form next to her. When the carriage would hit a rut he put a steadying hand on her and the spot on her arm would stay warm for long minutes after he let her go. She was glad that he didn't feel the need to be charming. She had other things to occupy her mind rather than fending off flirtatious gentlemen.
    That night he asked her to remain in the carriage as he secured their rooms, saying that the accommodations weren't as savory as those they had used thus far. She didn't want to confide to him that she had seen any number of unsavory things in her lifetime. Being treated as a pampered lady was yet another way of being sure she was delivered to her brother with all haste and minimal amorous advances.
    There was a knock at the carriage do or. "It's Hans."
    "Yes?"
    He opened the door, holding aloft a lantern. His expression was chagrined. "We will be sharing a room this eve."
    "They didn't have sufficient accommodations?"
    He looked over his shoulder. When his gaze returned it was quite grave. "I don't trust the patrons. I'm not letting you out of my sight."
    She nodded once and gathered her things. 
    As soon as she alit from their carriage he thrust a bundle of cloth into her hands. "Put on this cloak. Cover up as well as you can with it."
    She looked up at him. Tall, imposing Von Rosen had a tension to his jaw that bespoke sensing trouble. No one needed to prove to her that terrible things happened in the world. In her life she had seen things, heard things, that were horrifying. She huddled into the cloak, bending over and holding her arms at an angle that would indicate both girth and age. Taking his arm, she waddled beside him like someone's decrepit old aunt.
    Von Rosen whispered down to her. "What are you doing?"
    "Being unattractive," she replied, following up with a hacking cough and spit.
    He chuckled. "You're brilliant at it."
    Her only reply was an indelicate snort.
     
    * * *
     
    Hans closed and locked the door of their room while his charge took off her cloak. Her impromptu disguise had been stunning for the purposes of making her unremarkable and downright unattractive to the patrons of the inn. He leaned against the door, grinning. "You know they think I married you. Or what they now suspect to be a warty, fat little troll who was under that cloak."
    Her eyes danced with mirth and she sat on the bed. "You can tell